News

Canadian company eBrake Technologies is preparing its North American launch of a smartphone app which locks drivers from their device when vehicle-related motion is detected and has just launched a pilot program with Canadian mobile network provider Telus. The app, eBrake, requires no in-vehicle hardware; it locks any device on which it is installed and blocks incoming notifications. To unlock the device, users must complete eBrake's patent pending Passenger Unlock Test, something a driver cannot complete w

SES America has successfully delivered a large walk-in Messenger 6000 dynamic message sign (DMS) in Buffalo, New York. This full matrix DMS is 36.5 ft long and 7.11 ft high with a display matrix of 28 x 160 pixels and a pitch of 66 mm, making this type of DMS one of the largest ever commissioned by the company. The sign is equipped with an access door for ease of access and maintenance to all components, which are rated to operate in very harsh environments and extreme temperatures. It also has high perform

The long-established Balfour Beatty VINCI joint venture is to be awarded two rail contracts in the UK by High Speed 2 (HS2), worth a combined total of around US$3.3 billion (£2.5 billion). Balfour Beatty VINCI will deliver Lots N1 and N2between the Long Itchington Wood Green tunnel to the Delta Junction/Birmingham Spur and from the Delta Junction to the West Coast Main Line tie-in respectively, in a two-part design and build contract. Main construction work is scheduled to start in 2018/19, following a peri

Hyperloop One has completed its first full systems Hyperloop test in a vacuum environment at the company’s test track in the Nevada desert. The vehicle coasted above the first portion of the track for 5.3 seconds using magnetic levitation and reached nearly 2Gs of acceleration, while achieving the Phase 1 target speed of 70mph. The company is now entering the next campaign of testing, which will target speeds of 250 mph. Hyperloop One tested all the system's components, including its highly efficient motor,

The UK’s rail track owner, Network Rail, is using the latest technology in an effort to reduce the number of near misses as pedestrian cross the railway lines. Statistics revealed that 70% of near misses at crossings are due to distraction, with the top three being friends (40%), headphones (20%) and mobile phones (12%). Almost a third (29%) of young adults admit to using their mobile phone while crossing the railway and near misses rise from an average of 15/month in December and January to peak at 50 in S

Korean automotive components manufacturer Hyundai MOBIS is developing a new autonomous safety function that it believes could prevent more than 6,000 traffic fatalities each year. The Departed Driver Rescue and Exit Manoeuvre (DDREM) technology detects the critical situation where the driver is prevented from controlling the vehicle due to falling asleep, suffering a heart attack or other health condition. It then mitigates the risk of a crash by taking control of the vehicle and guiding it to safety. DDREM

US-based transport ticketing specialist Vix Technology has been selected by three city partners in the Edmonton metropolitan region, Canada, which includes the City of Edmonton, Strathcona County and City of St Albert, to implement a new regional smart fare solution (RSFS). The 15-year contract will enable the three cities to move from cash and paper-based ticketing systems to a common contactless fare payment system utilising an account-based back office. The RSFS initiative is made up of multiple componen

The first new-style smart motorway emergency area, where drivers can stop in an emergency, is being trialled on the M3 motorway in Surrey. Highways England is trialling the redesigned emergency area in response to public concern about smart motorways. It has a highly visible orange road surface and better signs to help improve its visibility make it more obvious to drivers on smart motorways. It is also hoped that it will encourage drivers to only use them in emergency situations. The first of the new emerg

The US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office has released the Iteris-led updated version of the ITS National Reference Architecture that fully incorporates the connected vehicle capabilities from the Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture (CVRIA) into the Architecture Reference for Cooperative and Intelligent Transportation (ARC-IT).

The US Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced approximately US$226.5 million in competitive grant funding for transit bus projects nationwide.

Goodyear has unveiled its IntelliGrip Urban, a concept tyre designed for future-generation autonomous electric ride-sharing vehicles in urban areas.

A new peer-to-peer car sharing scheme is helping one council slash the cost of workers’ transport.

The London Taxi Company has unveiled its new London taxi, the TX, and its eCity technology comprising of an advanced battery electric powertrain with a small petrol generator.

French police in the Gironde have invested in a quadro-rotor drone to help with roadside checks and easier identification of dangerous driving on motorways, following a recent test on the A10.

In its report published this week, the UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Taxis calls on the Government to give the Mayor of London, and other Mayors, the power to cap the number of private hire vehicles (PHVs) on London’s streets, stop cross border hiring and set out a robust set of minimum licensing standards for taxis and PHVs across the country.